WE all remember the parable the Lord spoke concerning the man traveling into a far country, who, before setting out, called his servants, committing to them his goods, so that they might trade with them in his absence. It is found in Matt. 25:14-3014For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:14‑30).
Let us focus our attention on the man who had one talent committed to him. He hid his lord’s money in the earth, and did nothing with it. The way in which he was addressed is significant. The accusing finger is put upon the spot in the use of two adjectives. “Thou wicked and slothful servant.” He was wicked, that is, his heart was away from his lord, he misrepresented his character; he was slothful, that is, he was lazy.
Then further the fate that overtook him is given as a warning that his fault might not be perpetuated.
There is a special use for the man of the one talent. If his talent is rightly used he is the backbone of all effort. The men with one talent are to be numbered by the tens of thousands. The temple would never have been reared at Jerusalem by Solomon had he not had 70,000 men that bare burdens and 80,000 hewers in the mountains. (See 1 Kings 5:1515And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; (1 Kings 5:15).) The men with five talents can be numbered on the fingers of one hand. The men with two talents are not a numerous class.
The man with the one talent, we repeat, is the backbone of all effort. The Great Western Railway many years ago determined to change their main lines from broad to narrow gauge. One or two men with five talents organized the alteration in a masterly fashion. A few subordinates with two talents as managers and foreman, were placed over the men. Men of one talent to the number of 200,000 were found at their appointed places at the appointed hour, and did the work appointed to them. Without the men of one talent the work would never have been accomplished in the wonderfully small space of time in which it was carried out.
A war is not waged by generals alone. Without the thousands of privates in the ranks all the skill and strategy of the generals would be of no avail.
The government of the country is not carried out by the prime minister alone. There are thousands of unknown officials each doing his work, without which the government of the country could not be carried on.
Our object, however, is to speak to Christians, and especially to young Christians, of one talent, and to encourage them in the use of it. We mean a talent in a spiritual sense, and its use in the Lord’s work.
All have not five talents. One brother has a great gift as an evangelist. His zeal is burning, like John the Baptist. He can attract crowds. His work for the Lord makes great demands upon him spiritually, mentally, physically. How wonderfully helpful to him are the brothers and sisters of the one talent. They cannot preach, but they can help the preacher. They can pray for him, make the meetings known, bring their friends, help to seat the people, do a thousand and one things that will help. Little things they may be, yet necessary, without which the work would not go smoothly and prosper. For one evangelist with five talents we need scores of consecrated men and women with one talent.
Further, reward is not apportioned according to the number of talents that a man has, but according to his FAITHFULNESS. To describe the man with one talent, who hid it in the earth, two adjectives are used, “WICKED AND SLOTHFUL.” To describe the man with the ten talents, and the man with the two talents, who were EQUALLY diligent in doubling their stock in trade, two adjectives are used, “GOOD AND FAITHFUL.” What a contrast! Doubtless if the man with the one talent had been diligent, he would have been described in the same way. In the case of each “good and faithful” servant, the reward is couched exactly in the same language. There is no difference in the reward, though there was a difference in the number of talents committed to them.
The number of the talents entrusted to each by the lord of the servants was regulated according to the ability of each. None of us have made ourselves. “Which of you with taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?” (Luke 12:2525And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? (Luke 12:25)). Such as we are, gifted or otherwise, our part is to use what God has entrusted us with, to be faithful and devoted; not to wish to be someone else or to do somebody else’s work.
We must again emphasize the fact that the man with one talent is the backbone of all effort. A brother or sister goes forth to serve the Lord in foreign lands. A district call to this arduous but blessed service has been responded to. The missionary is one, but how many are needed in the home lands to pray for such, to follow the work with intelligent interest, to minister to him out of their substance. The man with the one talent may go to his humble task day by day, and out of a meagre wage spare something to help the work. Shall we count that as a small matter? Without such interest and practical care the Lord’s interests would languish.
We need the men with one talent. In our time we have met such, who are heroes indeed, men and women, who made us ashamed of ourselves, men and women, the very salt of the earth.
A striking story is told of that remarkable man, Abraham Lincoln. At some public function in which he was to take part were two ladies, who had never seen the President, and were very excited at the prospect of doing so. At length he arrived. The ladies looked at him with keen interest. One said to the other in a loud excited whisper, which Lincoln overheard, “What a coon-looking man.” “Yes ma’am,” he at once said to her confusion, “the Lord must like common-looking people, or else He would not have made so many of them.”
But it is well for the one talent man to realize what is his talent, and use that. For instance the man with the five talents can fill the hall with eager listeners. The man with the one talent, if he mistakes his talent, and insists upon taking his turn behind the preaching desk will empty the room. Well for him if he realizes he has but one talent, and seeks to use that talent, and not try to do things he was never intended to do. The very fact, that he cannot do the things the man with the five talents is called to do, fits him to do the work that the Lord has called him to.
If every man in the army insisted upon being an officer, there would be no army. There would be a mob, a rabble. If every politician insisted upon being a prime mister there would be no government. All Honor to the men with the one talent. We cannot do without them, and when they fill their niche we profoundly respect them.
In the parable the man with the one talent might have been chagrined that he was not awarded five talents, or at least two, and because he did not get what he thought he ought to get, he would do nothing. Thus he earned the adjectives, “Wicked and slothful.”
May the lesson to be learned from our Lord’s parable be laid to heart, and may each one, whether entrusted with five talents, or two, or one, seek to earn the two adjectives, “Good and Faithful.”
A. J. Pollock.